Tag: official launch

Xiaomi Black Shark Smartphone For Gaming Officially Launched

Xiaomi-backed Black Shark has finally launched its first-ever Black Shark Smartphone in China. The Black Shark smartphone is a gaming based phone with a starting price of RMB 2,999 (Rs 31,160 approximately). The smartphone will be available for orders in China starting today (13th April). There is no word on the smartphone’s global availability as of now. Chances are, the smartphone will remain a China-exclusive like many exciting Xiaomi smartphones.

The Black Shark smartphone has top of the line specifications and a very unusual design. First glance at the smartphone and it would barely look like a flagship device launched in 2018. However, what is visible is that the Black Shark smartphone with its rugged look and iconic black and green colour combination. It is worth noting that this colour scheme is very reminiscent of Razer products, a company known for making gaming accessories and the infamous Razor Phone.

There is a button on the left of the smartphone that is called the “Shark Key,” that enables “immersive gaming experience.” Since the smartphone is aimed at hardcore gamers, it is equipped with an image processing chip that comes with intelligent motion compensation technology and dark scene detail processing. All of this will, in theory, enhance the gaming experience. Interestingly, the company has also implemented a liquid cooling system that can reduce the CPU core temperature by up to eight degrees. This means that even after long hours of gaming session, in theory, the Black Shark should not heat up a lot.

The company has also announced an interesting accessory along with the smartphone. It is a Gamepad that connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and is powered by a 340 mAh battery. The company claims that it can deliver up to 30 hours of gaming on a single charge. First 50,000 Black Shark Smartphone buyers will get the accessory for free. It will also be sold independently for 179 Yuan (Rs 1800 approx.).

In today’s day and age, specifications are barely different between two flagship smartphones. However, the Black Shark Smartphone has a lot of gaming specific features which should enhance the overall experience of mobile gaming. How much of these features will hold up in the real world is yet to be seen.

April 13, 2018

Lenovo ThinkPad X1, T, X, And L Series Laptops Officially Launched In India

Lenovo has officially launched a series of laptops under the ThinkPad Branding In India. These laptops have an ultra-slim design with the latest 8th Gen Intel processors. Some of these devices have a ruggedness of ThinkPad series with the flexibility of Yoga series of laptops. The main product that was launched in the event is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, which retails for Rs 1,21,000 and Rs 1,26,000 respectively. These laptops will be available in April on both online and offline retail stores across the country.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Specs

According to Lenovo, these are the first set of laptops to offer a display with Dolby Vision HDR Support with a maximum brightness of 500 nits. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon just weighs at 1.13 Kilogram, where the chassis is made using an advanced carbon fibre composite. Additionally, the ThinkPad Yoga also has a dedicated LTE modem to support wireless on the go Wireless LTE networks. These laptops can be configured with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB Solid State Drive, which runs on the 8th Generation Intel i7 Quad-core processor with Intel UHD 620 GPU.

Lenovo X Series

Model Name And Price	Lenovo ThinkPad X280 Rs 73,000	Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga Rs 87,000
Processor	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7
RAM	16GB DDR4	16GB DDR4
Storage	16GB DDR4	1TB PCIe SSD
Display	12.5 inch HD TN FHD IPS FHD IPS with touch	13.3 inch FHD IPS With Touch Support
Weight in Kilogram	1.13 1.26 1.27	1.4

Lenovo ThinkPad T series

Model Name and Price	Lenovo ThinkPad T480 Rs 69,000	Lenovo ThinkPad T480s Rs 86,000	Lenovo ThinkPad T580 Rs 74,000
Processor	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7
RAM	32GB	24GB	32GB
Storage	256GB or 1TB OPAL 2 based SSD 1TB Hard Disc	1TB PCIe SSD	1TB SSD 2TB HDD
Display	14 inch HD TN FHD IPS FHD IPS with Touch WQHD IPS	15 inch HD TN FHD IPS	15 inch FHD IPS FHD IPS with touch UHD IPS
Weight in Kilogram	1.13	1.32	1.95

Lenovo ThinkPad L Series

Model Name and Price	ThinkPad L380 Rs 61,000	ThinkPad L380 Yoga Rs 65,000	ThinkPad L480 Rs 54,000	ThinkPad L580 Rs 55,000
Processor	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7
RAM	32GB DDR4	Up to 32GB DDR4	Up to 32GB DDR4	32GB DDR4
Storage	512GB SSD 1TB Hard Disc	1TB HDD 512GB SSD	512GB SSD 1TB HDD	1TB HDD 512GB SSD
Display	13.3 inch HD TN FHD IPS FHD IPS with Touch	13.3 inch FHD IPS with Touch	14 inch HD TN FHD IPS FHD IPS with Touch	15 inch HD TN FHD IPS
Weight in Kilogram	1.46	1.56	1.68	2.0

April 12, 2018

Huawei Y6 (2018) Officially Launched

The Huawei Y6 (2018) has been officially launched in Europe. This is the latest addition to the Huawei’s budget Y series, which now boasts a taller display with Face Unlock. It is available in Black, Blue and Gold colour variants. As of now, there are no details on the pricing or the availability of the smartphone.

Huawei Y6 (2018) Specs

In terms of styling, the Huawei Y6 (2018) has a lot of similarities to the Honor 7x. In fact, the device has a similar looking metal unibody design. However, there are some cut corners to reduce the manufacturing cost. In fact, the device misses out on a fingerprint sensor.

The Y6 2018 has a 5.7 inch 18:9 aspect ratio IPS LCD display with 1440 x 720 px resolution. The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset, paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage which is expandable up to 256GB via micro SD card.

The Huawei Y6 (2018) has a 13MP primary camera with 1080p video recording capability. Interestingly, the smartphone has a 5MP front-facing camera, which offers AI features with Face Unlock capability. The phone comes with Android 8 Oreo out of the box with custom EMUI 8 skin on the top. Finally, the device is powered by a 3000 mAh sealed battery with a micro USB port for charging and data syncing.

April 12, 2018
Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo Launched In India For Rs 16,990

Samsung has officially launched Galaxy J7 Duo in India for a price of Rs 16,990. The smartphone will be available from the 12th of April in Black and Gold colours via offline retail stores. Considering the price tag, the smartphone will compete against the Nokia 6 2018, which retails in India for Rs 16999.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo Specs

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo has a 5.5 inch Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 px resolution. The smartphone has a plastic build with user replaceable back panel, which reveals a 3000 mAh battery. The device is powered by the Exynos 7 series Octa-core chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The storage is expandable up to 256GB using micro SD card on a dedicated micro SD card slot.

The smartphone has a dual camera setup with a 13MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor, with both boasting an f/1.9 aperture. The device has an 8MP front-facing camera with an f/1.9 aperture with 1080p video recording capability. The main camera unit can capture portrait photos which soften the background by keeping the subject in focus. The device runs on Samsung’s custom Experience UI based on Android 8 Oreo. The device has a forward facing fingerprint sensor, mounted on the home button.

At a cost of Rs 16,990, the Galaxy J7 Duo has an archaic 16:9 aspect ratio and a 720P display. The likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Honor 7X have an 18:9 aspect ratio and 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The presence of a dual-camera and the perception attached to the Samsung brand might help the J7 Duo on the market. It is also worth noting that the Galaxy J7 Duo will be much easier to buy and will be more accessible than the likes of Redmi Note 5 Pro.

April 11, 2018

Panasonic Lumix G, Lumix G85 Launched In India Starting Rs 53990

Panasonic has launched two new mirrorless cameras with 4K video recording capability in India. The Panasonic Lumix G85 is priced at Rs 72,990 and the Panasonic Lumix G7 is priced at Rs 53,990 (body). One can also get the G7 with 1442mm and 45150mm lens for Rs 58,990. These cameras will be available across the country through Panasonic stores.

The Panasonic Lumix G7 has a 16MP Live MOS Sensor and a Venus Engine Image Processor. The camera is powered by a custom Quad-core CPU, which will enable the camera to shoot in either 8fps or 6fps to capture fast moving objects. The camera also has a maximum ISO of 25600, which enables this camera to shoot even in the low light environment. Additionally, the camera can record native QFHD 3840×2160 px resolution with up to 25fps. The camera also has a one of kind drive mode dial, which will enable quick 4K photos shooting. It also has a standard set of features like Wi-Fi and a 3.5 mm microphone socket.

The Panasonic Lumix G85 has a rugged design, which also splashes and dust resistant. The camera is equipped with dual Image Optical Stabilisation with focus stacking capacity to produce a varied depth of field. The camera has a 3 inch high-resolution OLED live viewfinder with touch controls. The Panasonic Lumix G85 has a 16MP Digital Live MOS Sensor with a Venus Engine Image Processor. The camera can record 4K video up to 30fps with 60Hz area and also can live stream the content to an external source using an HDMI cable. It also supports features like multiple exposure and time-lapse shots.

Specifications

Model	Panasonic G7
Price	Rs 72,990 Rs 58,990 with dual 1442mm and 45150mm lens kit
Sensor	16MP Digital Live MOS Sensor Venus Engine
Video	4K @ 25fps 50Hz
Connectivity	Wi-Fi
Max ISO	25600

Model	Panasonic G85
Price	Rs 72,990
Sensor	16MP Digital Live MOS Sensor Venus Engine
Video	4K @ 30fps 60Hz 4K @ 25fps 50Hz
Connectivity	Wi-Fi Live Streaming Through HDMI
Max ISO	25600

April 10, 2018

Google Home Mini, Google Home Launched In India Starting Rs 4499

Google has launched its first-ever line of smart speakers in India at an event in Delhi. The company has launched its most affordable offering, the Google Home Mini for Rs 4499 and the mid-range Google Home for Rs 9999.

The Google Home Mini and Home will compete with Amazon Echo Dot and Echo, which were launched in India back in October 2017. The smart speaker industry in India is starting to pick up its pace as more companies are introducing their smart speakers in India. Recently, another Echo Dot/Home Mini alternate, Eufy Genie was launched in India which is available for Rs 3980 via Amazon. The Eufy Genie is powered Alexa, Amazon’s AI assistant. The Google Home and Home Mini, on the other hand, are powered by the Google Assistant, the company’s own AI assistant.

These smart speakers function only if they’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. The speakers act as great music players but once connected they can be used to also control different smart home accessories like a smart bulb. Additionally, these speakers can schedule a task, set an alarm, ask for trivia or the latest news.

Google Home Specs

Available in two colour variants, one with White, while the other a Slate fabric finish. The larger smart speaker has a 2 inch driver with dual 2 inch passive radiators. The speaker requires 16.5 Volts and 2A current, which is why the speaker has to be connected to a power source at all times. One can connect to these speakers using an iOS or Android smartphone using the Google Home app. The speaker supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Bands. Additionally, these speakers can connect with each other to run as a single set of speakers or for multi-room playback.

Weight (g)	477
Supported Audio Formats	HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC, Opus
Wireless network	802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz) Wi-Fi
Speaker	2in driver + dual 2in passive radiators
Connections	DC power jack, Micro-USB port (for service only)

Google Home Mini Specs

The Mini has a similar functionality in a compact form factor. The speaker is available in three different finishes, which includes Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral. Due to smaller form factor, it requires 5 Volts and 1.8 Amps power. However, it packs in a smaller speaker, which might not be able to fill out even a small room.

Weight Approximate	173 g
Height	4.2 cm
Colour	Chalk
Sound System	360° Circle Sound
Wireless Speakers	Yes
Power Source	Power Adapter

Buy The Google Home here

April 10, 2018

Apple Launches iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (Product Red) Starting US$ 699

Apple has officially launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (Product) RED variants at a starting price of US$ 699. The new iPhones start shipping to countries like the US, Australia, New Zealand etc from the 13th of April. However, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (Product) RED won’t hit the Indian shores until May. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (Product) RED will be available in both 64GB and 256GB storage variants and will start retailing at a price of Rs 67940.

Apple’s Vice President of Product Marketing Greg Joswiak said:

This special edition (PRODUCT) RED iPhone features a stunning red and black color combination and also offers customers the opportunity to make an impact in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. We are proud to support (RED) with this bold new iPhone and hope customers think it is as special as we do.

Apart from the exciting new colour, the new iPhones do not add any new functionalities. However, one thing that differs from last year’s iPhone 7 (Product) RED variants is the front of the iPhones. This time around, the thick bezels are black in colour, while the 2017 (Product) RED iPhones had white coloured bezels. Many iPhone users wanted black bezels and Apple has rectified that with the 2018 (Product) RED iPhones.

The new colour variant launch is a part of Apple’s partnership with (RED), an advocacy group dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. It was founded in 2006 by Bono, frontman of the iconic band, U2 and ONE Campaign activist Bobby Shriver. In fact, Apple has launched a number of special RED iPads, iPods, cases and for the first time, in 2017, launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the special edition colour.

Apart from the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus colour, Apple has also launched a new Folio case for the iPhone X. The new iPhone X (Product) RED Folio case will retail for Rs 7900 and will be available from Apple Authorised Resellers.

Buy the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 (Product) RED here.

April 9, 2018

Samsung Galaxy S8 Burgundy Red Launched In India At Rs 49990

Samsung has launched the Galaxy S8 in a new Burgundy Red colour variant at a price of Rs 49990 in India. The new colour variant will be available across all leading retail outlets with an additional Paytm cashback of Rs 10000 from the 13th of April. Whether the new colour variant will be available online via Flipkart or Amazon is not yet clear. After the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ received a heavy price cut and the new colour variant is available at the same price as the other Galaxy S8 colour variants.

The Samsung Galaxy S8, even after a year since its official launch, continues to be a strong seller for Samsung. For consumers looking for a flagship Samsung device but, do not want to spend heavily on the S9 or its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S8 makes perfect sense. It is now available at a much lower price compared to its original price tag and still has one of the best display and build quality on the market.

Galaxy S9 — Samsung Galaxy S8 Midnight Black

With the new Burgundy Red colour, the consumers have another option to choose from. This new colour variant also gives Samsung an upper hand over other sub-50K smartphones like the Nokia 8 Sirocco. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S8 is out of stock on Flipkart and offline retailers are the only source to buy a new Galaxy S8 from. The Galaxy S8 Plus, on the other hand, is still available on Flipkart.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Specs

Price	Rs 49,990
Display	5.8 inch Super AMOLED
Display Resolution	2960 x 1440 px 18.5:9 570 ppi
Battery	3000 mAh
Chipset	Exynos 8895
RAM	4GB
Storage	64GB Expandable up to 256GB
Primary Camera	12MP f/1.7
Primary Camera Video	3840 x 2160 px @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	8MP f/1.7
Add-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor Iris Scanner IP68 Rating

April 9, 2018

Logitech K120 Hindi Keyboard Officially Launched In India For Rs 659

Logitech has launched the Logitech K120 and the MK235 wireless mouse and keyboard combination in India. The Logitech K120 retails for Rs 659 and the MK235 retails for Rs 1995, respectively. These keyboards will be available on Amazon.in and offline retail stores from the 15th of April. The Logitech K120 Keyboard has a 3-year warranty and the Logitech MK wireless Keyboard + Mouse combo has a 1-year warranty.

These accessories are launched under the central government’s Digital India Initiative. The Logitech K120 and the Logitech MK235 are aimed at the 40-crore Hindi speaking people.

The Logitech K120 is an English plus Hindi keypad, which has Devanagari inscriptions. This keyboard has a spill-resistant design, which will let the liquid drain out of the keyboard. It has durable keys which can withstand up to 10 million keystrokes. Additionally, it also comes with adjustable legs, which can tilt the keyboard by 8 degrees. This is a plug and play device, which will work with most of the computers running on any operating system.

The Logitech MK235 wireless keypad plus mouse combo also has English and Hindi inscriptions. The keyboard works with different devices running on Windows OS, Chrome OS and macOS. The keypad requires two AAA sized batteries and the mouse require a single AA size battery. Both accessories have a dedicated power button with a wireless range of 10 meters.

Logitech MK235 Specs

Dimensions and weight of Keyboard	137.5 x 435.5 x 20.5 mm 475 Grams
Dimensions and weight of Mouse	97.7 x 61.5 x 35.2 mm 70.5 Grams
Range	10 Meters
Protocol	Logitech non-unifying 2.4GHz Protocol
Encryption	128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) between devices and receiver
Battery Life	36 Months
Special Keys	15 function keys accessible through “fn” key
System Requirements	USB Port

April 7, 2018

Dell Alienware 15, Alienware 17 Powered By Intel Core i9 Officially Launched

Dell has officially launched Alienware series of gaming laptops powered by 8th Gen Intel processors. These gaming machines are powered by the recently launched Intel Coffee Lake chipsets. Additionally, the company has also launched affordable G-series gaming laptops with a starting price of US$ 749. The 17 inch Alienware powered by Intel Core i9 processor is overclockable up to 5GHz. The 15″ model is currently available on Dell.com for a starting price of US$ 2,400. As of now, there is no information on the pricing or availability of these devices in India.

The new Alienware series of gaming laptops from Dell comes with either a 15 inch or 17 inch display. These laptops are available in different 8th Gen Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 processors. Similarly, one can choose between NVIDIA GeForce 1060, 1070, and 1080 GPUs. However, there is an option to choose between NVIDIA and AMD Radeon RX570 as well.

These laptops also have the new cooling technology called ‘Alienware Cryo-Tech v2.0’, which keeps the notebooks cooler using 50% thinner fan blades. As these are gaming laptops, one can upgrade for an additional cost, to get a 120Hz TN+WVA 400-nits display.

Under the Dell G-series, the company has launched four gaming laptops. The G3 series comes in a 15 inch and a 17 inch display. Similarly, the G5 and G7 series comes with a 15 inch display. These notebooks have an anti-glare IPS LCD display with a max resolution of 3840×2160 px on the high-end G7 Model.

All four gaming machines have an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. The G3 series of notebooks have an NVIDIA GeForce 1050 and 1060 Max-Q GPU, whereas the G5 series notebooks have an NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Max-Q GPU.

Price Details:

Model	Availability on Dell.comm	Price Range (Starting price in US$)
Alienware 15 inch	Available on Dell.com Available in US, China, and Europe from April 10th	2,400 (~Rs 1,56,132) Additional configuration cost: US$ 1,450 (~Rs 94,329)
Alienware 17 inch	Available on Dell.com Available in US, China, and Europe from April 10th	3,700 (~Rs 2,40,703) Additional configuration cost: US$ 1,600 (~Rs 1,04,088)
G3 15 inch	From April 16th	749.99 (~Rs 48,790)
G3 17 inch	April 16th	1099.99 (Rs 71,559)
G5 15 inch	From April 16th	949.99 (~Rs 61,801)
G7 15 inch	Available on Dell.com	1099.99 (~Rs 71,559)

April 5, 2018

Nokia 8 Sirocco Launched In India At Rs. 49,999

Nokia has launched its first flagship smartphone of 2018 in India, the Nokia 8 Sirocco for Rs 49,999. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a successor to the 2017 Nokia 8. For all its bells and whistles, the Nokia 8 was criticised for its design and camera capabilities. The Nokia 8 Sirocco has taken its design inspiration from the original Sirocco moniker. For context, Sirocco is a reference to the Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition which was launched in 2006, which had a metal unibody design with a scratch-resistant sapphire glass.

The device has a 5.5 inch pOLED display with a 2560 x 1440 px resolution. The display offers a dual curved design with the vacuum moulding technology with Gorilla Glass 5. In fact, it looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Nokia has started to follow the industry trend by removing 3.5 mm headphone jack on the Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. However, the devices misses out on memory expansion. The phone has a dual Zeiss camera setup with a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.75 aperture and a 13MP telephoto sensor with f/2.6 aperture. The smartphone also has a pro camera app, with manual controls. However, unlike most flagship smartphones, the phone misses out on OIS.

The phone has a 3260 mAh Li-ion battery with support for fast charging via USB type C port. Additionally, the smartphone also supports wireless charging and is the first Nokia Android phone to do the same. This is a true design flagship phone from Nokia. The smartphone has a glass back with a stainless steel frame. The device runs on pure Android 8 Oreo with Android One programme. However, it still runs on last year’s chipset with prominent bezels on the top and bottom part of the device.

The smartphone has a one of a kind design, which makes this device looks premium. At this price point, the Nokia 8 Sirocco directly competes with the likes of the Galaxy S9. However, the phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with an old style 16:9 aspect ratio display. The upcoming OnePlus 6 will have a similar glass design with a taller 19:9 aspect ratio screen and a notch could boast a threat to this device. In fact, the OnePlus might retail for a price of Rs 34,000, which is much less the Nokia 8 Sirocco’s Rs 49,999 price tag.

April 4, 2018
Nokia 6 2018 Launched In India At Rs. 16,999

HMD Global has officially launched the Nokia 6 2018 in India for a price of Rs. 16,999. The company had launched this smartphone in China in January 2018. However, unlike the Chinese variant, the Nokia 6 2018 launched in India supports Android One Programme, which offers faster software and security updates. The smartphone will be available from the 6th of April via Nokia Mobile Shops and select mobile outlets.

The Nokia 6 2018 has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with 16:9 aspect ratio. However, unlike most smartphones in this segment, the device misses out on an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Octa-core chipset with 4GB and 32/64GB storage. Like the original Nokia 6, the storage is expandable up to 256GB using a micro SD card.

This smartphone also has a Zeiss certified single 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an 8MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The primary camera can record native 4K videos, whereas the front-facing camera maxes out at 1080p @ 30fps. The has a 3000 mAh sealed battery with support for fast charging via USB type C port. The fingerprint sensor now sits on the back of the device. This is a peculiar decision by the company since it has retained the 16:9 aspect ratio. Smartphone makers usually revert to a rear-facing fingerprint sensor when they shrink the bezels and don’t have enough space to place the sensor on the front.

Though the device has a wide array of features, it is slightly overpriced for the Indian market. In fact, phones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, Honor 7X have a dual camera setup with a taller display and retail at a lower price. However, the Nokia 6 2018 does have an advantage of stock Android OS and a USB type C port. But, whether these features are enough for an average Indian consumer to shell out the extra cash, is a guess as good as any other.

April 4, 2018
Nokia 7 Plus Launched In India At Rs. 25999

HMD Global has officially launched the Nokia 7 Plus in India for a price of Rs 25999. The smartphone will be an Amazon exclusive and will be available for preorders from the 20th of April. Good news for potential suitors of the Nokia 7 Plus, the smartphone will not be sold via any flash sales. At the Mobile World Congress 2018, HMD Global launched a plethora of smartphones. It unveiled the first-ever Android Go device, the Nokia 1 and revived a classic phone, the Nokia 8810 Banana Phone. However, the most exciting of the lot was the Nokia 7 Plus.

At this price, the Nokia 7 Plus competes with the likes of the Moto X4 in India. Apart from the Moto X4, there are not many new smartphones in the price category. However, this is a very peculiar decision by HMD Global. The Nokia 8, company’s 2017 flagship recently received a huge price cut and is now available for Rs 28999. Keeping the price sensitivity of Indian consumers in mind, the difference in price of the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 might be significant for many people.

However, it is worth noting that the Honor View10, a modern-looking flagship smartphone also retails in India for Rs 29999. While the Nokia 7 Plus might be the only option for some, it is fair to assume that many consumers would rather invest some more money in a flagship-grade smartphone since an average Indian consumer barely makes a generational upgrade in smartphones.

The Nokia 7 Plus looks great, at least in the images. The colour accent of the device is good and the new 18:9 aspect ratio means it is up to speed with modern smartphones. Since the Nokia 7 was never launched in India, for many Indian consumers, this could be a first Nokia smartphone for them.

Another interesting aspect of the Nokia 7 Plus is its chipset. It is the first-ever Android smartphone to launch with the Snapdragon 660 chipset. The Moto X4, its closest competitor is powered by the Snapdragon 630 chipset. However, the Moto X4 has a 6GB RAM variant priced at Rs 25999, while the Nokia 7 Plus only has 4GB RAM.

The Nokia 7 Plus has a 6 inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio hence, the “Plus” moniker. The Nokia 7 plus also features a dual-tone design thanks to a few gilded bits and pieces. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the device. It also has the similar colour accents found on the Nokia 6.

The Nokia 7 Plus has a Zeiss Optics powered dual-camera on the back. The primary wide-angle sensor is a 12MP camera with an f/1.75 aperture coupled with a 13MP telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture. The telephoto lens will allow for bokeh shots which have now become very trendy. On the front is a 16MP fixed focus camera with an f/2.0 aperture, 1-micron pixels, and Zeiss optics.

April 4, 2018
8th Gen Intel Core i9 Processor For Laptops Officially Announced

Intel has officially announced the 8th generation Core i3, i5, i7, and Core i9 processor for laptops at a global event in Beijing. Additionally, the company also announced next-generation Intel Optane memory that can deliver high performance even on older PCs. These processors will be available across the globe for notebook manufacturers. The manufacturers are most likely to launch notebooks based on these chipsets by Q2 2018.

These chipsets are based on the latest Coffee Lake platform with 14nm++ process. Compared to the 7th generation chipsets, these processors offer up to 41% more frame rate while gaming. Similarly, 4K video editing will be faster by up to 59%. These processors also come with a discrete graphics card from AMD, which has an edge over the last gen processors.

The 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK is the most powerful mobile processor launched to date. The chipset has a six cores and 12 hyper-threads to offer top of the CPU performance. The processor uses Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB), which will automatically increase the clock speed of the CPU based on temperature. This feature will help this chipset to achieve up to a maximum frequency of 4.8GHz.

The processors can handle native VR and Windows mixed reality content. Additionally, Intel has also launched a new Intel 300 Series chipset, which offers a faster 2x internet speed with 2×2 802.11AC 80 MHz (867 Mbps) standards. The 8th Gen chipsets combined with an Intel Optane memory can increase the performance a device by a large margin. The Intel Optane memory uses SATA-based storage technology without compromising storage capacity. In fact, compared to an HDD drive, the Octane can load a game 4.7 times faster and 1.7 times faster multimedia loading speeds.

April 3, 2018
Samsung Odyssey Z Gaming Laptop Officially Launched

Samsung has unveiled a new gaming laptop called the Samsung Odyssey Z. The availability of the Odyssey will be initially limited to South Korea and China. However, the company is yet to announce the pricing of the laptop. The Samsung Odyssey Z comes with the latest Intel CPU and NVIDIA GPU. Additionally, Samsung has redesigned the notebook with four fan setup for thermal management using Z AeroFlow cooling system. As the Z Blades are located on up top, the company has squeezed the keypad and trackpad in the same frame. Though this sounds like an intellectual design choice, it does look hideous.

Samsung Odyssey Z Specs

The Samsung Odyssey Z has a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display. Under the hood, the device is powered by the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 chipset with NVIDIA GTX 1060 MAX-P GPU. The graphics card offers up to 10% more processing power than the 1060 MAX-Q. Additionally, the notebook has up to 16GB LPDDR4 RAM and 1TB NVMe based SSD. Additionally, the notebook packs in a 1.5 Watt speaker and a red coloured backlit keypad.

To keep the device cool all the time, Samsung has incorporated a new technology called ‘Dynamic Spread Vapor Chamber’, which helps to reduce the temperature of CPU and GPU. The notebook comes with a massive 54Wh battery and a 180 Watt power adapter in the retail package. The notebook comes with plenty of connectivity options, including 3X USB A, HDMI, LAN port, and a USB type C port.

April 3, 2018